Page:Looters of the Public Domain.djvu/177

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Chapter XII

Puter's motives for aiding the Government—His co-operation with Heney and Burns the mainstay in the efforts to connect United States Senator John H. Mitchell with the Oregon land frauds—How Frederick A. Kribs was driven into a corner and forced to "peach" on his friends—C. A. Smith, the notorious Minneapolis millionaire, saved by the statute of limitations—Unique system of "mining" pursued by the Secret Service Department in reducing the strongholds of conspiracy.


THE verdict of conviction having been rendered, our attorneys immediately filed a motion for a new trial, Judge Belling-er granting us forty days in which to submit and argue same. In the meantime we were remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal, our bonds in each case being fixed at $4,000.

Mrs. Watson, Horace G. McKinley, Dan W. Tarpley and Frank H. Walgamot at once gave bail and were released; while, in my case, as I was momentarily expecting my old friends and associates to call and attend to the matter, I made no attempt, personally, to find sureties on the afternoon of my conviction.

It appeared, however, as the hours rolled by, and the day was far spent, that I had been overlooked, so I requested Walter F. ("Jack") Matthews, then United States Marshal for Oregon, to grant me the privilege of remaining at the Hotel Portland, where I had been stopping, until such time as my bonds were furnished and approved.

Mr. Matthews very kindly granted my request, and instructed Jacob Proebstel, one of his deputies, to accompany me to the hotel, where I was to remain in his custody until my bonds were furnished.

On the following day, December 7, 1904. I suggested to Mr. Proebstel. when breakfast was over, that we return to the Marshal's office, as I expected my friends to call there. Noon came, however, without bringing anybody, so we went back to the hotel for luncheon, after which we repaired to the Marshal's office and resumed our lonely vigil.

After remaining there for some time, I called up my brother over the telephone, and suggested that he pay a visit to the offices of F. Pierce Mays, Fred. A. Kribs and W. N. Jones, all of whom he would find in the Chamber of Commerce building, and to interview these gentlemen with regard to furnishing my bond, asking that he more particularly see Mr. Mays, whom I requested him to call upon first, as I thought, because of our close business relations, and because of the fact that Mays was implicated with me in several land fraud transactions, and had always acted as my attorney, that he would be the proper person to come to the rescue, now that I was in need of assistance.

When my brother returned to the Marshal's office, he advised me that the gentlemen named had been called upon by him personally and interviewed in my behalf, but without success. Mr. Mays, upon whom he called first, refused absolutely to have anything to do with me, giving as a reason that he, too, might be dragged into the mire. He stated that his name was being mentioned freely as a subject for probable indictment at some later date.Page 171